ConnextCare CEO talks about expanding access to healthcare in Oswego County
By Mary Beth Roach
Tricia Peter-Clark is president and chief executive officer of ConnextCare and as such she oversees a healthcare network with nearly 300 employees; locations in Pulaski, Mexico, Parish, Central Square, Phoenix, Fulton and Oswego; and a school-based health center program in the Pulaski, Sandy Creek, Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, Mexico, Fulton and Oswego school districts. The final numbers for 2024 were 31,545, up more than 2,000 patients from the year before.
She talks about ConnextCare’s newest facility, which opened in downtown Oswego on March 31.
Q: Can you explain ConnextCare to our readers who might not be familiar with the services that your organization offers?
A: ConnextCare is a federally qualified health center, which means that we receive some federal funding to ensure that there are health centers in what they determine is underserved areas. Our main health center, in Pulaski, has 30 clinical exam rooms. We’ve got several advanced practice providers and physicians. We operate primary care acute walk-in services. We have an external respiratory care center. And then we also have mental health services, regular counseling as well as adult and pediatric psychiatry. And we have our dental practice.
Q: What does the new location in Oswego offer patients?
A: Patients can expect to see the most modern approach to healthcare that you can have anywhere in our county. The team spent a lot of time talking about healthcare now and in the future and wanted a space that was what you would see in a modern healthcare facility. At the end of each set of six exam rooms on the primary care floor is a nursing care team office or a nurses’ pod. The strategic positioning of the nursing care team offices directly across the hall from the providers they are each working with enhances care coordination between provider teams as well as communication. When a provider comes out of an exam room and needs clinical support, they have a team of staff working within their clinical pod to support them.
Q: What other services can patients find at this new location?
A: One of the biggest additions that we’re very proud to be able to offer is dental care. We have seven dental operatories, which will be on the second floor. We’ll have a dentist there and a couple of dental hygienists to see patients for routine, preventive care, as well as any kind of treatment. In addition to primary care and dental, we are going to be transitioning our mental health team there. Right now, we have one mental health counselor who works in our office that will transition there. We hired a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. She will be ful time in the new location.
Q: What prompted the move from your old location on George Street in Oswego to this new location on East First Street?
A: We’ve been growing as an organization and really looking at what the needs are in our community. One of the biggest needs has been oral health and expansion for primary care. The current space did not have the availability for us to be able to really grow.
Q: You alluded to looking at the needs of the community. What do you see as some of the bigger health needs that should be addressed?
A: It’s just the overall access to care. This facility — when you go from 10 exam rooms to 18 — has the opportunity to be able to open up to more patients. We serve patients regardless of what your insurance is. Patients with Medicaid-Medicaid Managed Care and Medicare insurance often face increased challenges with accessing essential services, as providers elect not to participate with these plans. The new Oswego location will address access to primary care for patients with these plans but also access to dental services. Our local partners have shared numerous concerns over consumer-access to dental care, particularly for those older than 65, so this location offers an opportunity for those without a current dental home to establish care with us.
Q: It has been mentioned that this new location will be more accessible for people who might rely on bus transportation?
A: One hundred percent. When you look at needs assessment, transportation is a real barrier. Even if you have Medicaid coverage and you have the opportunity to call and ask for a ride or get a ride provided, it’s a barrier because you have to rely on the coordination of the service, the reliability and the time. And so, when we looked at trying to find the right place that would be centrally located, the convenience to the patients was a big piece of that. This facility downtown has sidewalks; is conveniently located between all the different public housing that’s in the community and welcomes the walk-ins. ConnextCare is looking to adjust how we provide services in that space to be more conducive to what our community is looking for.